Future Yam Weeners
by Sombre Girl
Summary: Yam Ween's here!Yay!But when Peter,Jealousy more like it,accidentally uses a machine that Peter has no idea how to use,it looks like they are stuck in the past.Or is it the future?Will they get home in time for Yam Ween?Why am I asking you questions you guys can answer once you've read the entire story?
1. Chapter 1

_**Ruby Gloom  
**_

_**Future Yam**_** Weeners**

**Author's Note:Where do I begin apologizing?**

**Okay,I haven't done my best for any of my ,I guess it's because of depression.  
**

**But that's no excuse!It's selfish!So,from now on,I'll try very hard!  
**

**Please review and tell me how I can improve.  
**

**PS:I am sorry but I have deleted some stories because none of them were going to be referred to,ever!Once again,I apologize.  
**

Yam Ween.

It's not about getting seasonal allergies,setting up the traditional Yam Ween scene for a puppet show,having a fireworks display,decorating the Yam Ween chime or even singing the Yam Ween song.

It reminds us to never loose sight of what is most important.

Friendship.

The mutual understanding between each other.

Sharing,teaching and remembering each other.

Most of all,never leaving the other astray.

Sometimes,you don't have to donate your spleen to your friend to show how much you care for them.

A friend who is truly understanding,shows empathy and listens to you even at midnight,can help you see things from a different point of view.

In a hard time,friends really show their true colors and can sometimes be a solid step.

I had to learn this the hard way.

The beginning is always the hardest.

Will your beloved heroine Peter Gloom make it through with a minimal number of scars?

Nope.

However,I wouldn't change any part of this tale at all if I could.

Here goes nothing...!

Once upon a time...!

* * *

The eaves were strung with colored lights,the frosty windows were aglow from within and smoke curled from the chimney.

Boo-Boo and Squig stood in the open doorway,guarding the house...or at least watching it as they played a friendly game of chopsticks.

Sassy witch Jealousy,wearing a hooded jacket of dyed silver that was edged with satiny white fur around the neckline and the hem,flew around the house.

Ruby in her black snow dress and Doom Kitty on her head and Iris in her favourite red sweater,were pedaling as fast as they could on their bicycles,trying to keep up with her while not skidding on the slippery ice.

"Haha!If only you could get dressed that fast!"Iris giggled before switching on to a more favorable mode of transport in the snow,jet-powered rocket skis.

With a click of a button,Iris was neck to neck with Jealousy.

"Why do I not get the cool modes of transportation?"Ruby mumbled as she stopped pedaling.

Doom then frantically pointed to Ruby's small purple purse.

"Yup,Doom,old friend,time to execute plan #197!"Ruby beamed as she retrieved a lasso from her bag and two skis.

Doom briefly saluted before Ruby quickly tossed the lasso once she secured her footing on the skis and it wrapped around Jealousy.

The moment she did,she was right behind Jealousy,a reasonable distance finally.

"What?"Jealousy looked at the ropes when she finally turned to see Ruby with an impish smile and Doom chuckling.

"Sorry Jealousy but there's no time to argue!We gotta make this a winter wonderland!"

"Ufff!Fine!"She huffed.

With a few zaps,there were several ice sculptures of Yam,Ween and their friends and one gargantuan snow vampire with carrots as fake fangs and a huge sweater Ruby knitted as a cape.

"Wahoo!We've have finished decorating!"

Flames crackled invitingly in the fireplace and a large Yam Ween chime covered in beautiful ornaments and surrounded with presents stood in the corner.

Food was spread on multiple tables around the room,everything from the sweet rice pudding flavoured with raisins Scaredy brought,Kheer,to Jealousy's Bûche de Noël that was a yellow sponge cake frosted and filled with chocolate buttercream to resemble a chopped off branch look as though it has a bark-like texture.

Ruby's gingerbread zombies,dense and chewy and decorated with white sugar icing and red-hot candies were a huge delight for the gang.

The grand banquet had been laid out to all to be in attendance,a perfect culinary representation of the varying friends about to arrive.

"Thanks for allowing us to host the Yam Ween party at your house,Vulcan!Having a cozy log cabin reminds us of Yam and Ween's friendship since they lived in one as room mates."

"Yeah,well,you are going to have to help me clean this place up.I am not too keen on having salad as my wallpaper."Vulcan reminded her as he watched Misery.

She was scooping up a huge portion of the salad Skull Boy made after realizing his bones served as handy tongs and insisting he was related to Caesar Cardine,the Mexican restauranteur who mixed romaine lettuce tossed with olive oil dressing,a raw egg,garlic and grated cheese,topped with croutons and Worcestershire sauce to make Caesar Salad!

Judging by the way Skull Boy conjured up a chilled bowl of tossed fresh lettuce with boiled eggs,shredded pieces of chicken and turkey bacon with a nice cold dressing drizzled on top,it was highly possible.

Unfortunately,nobody could enjoy it when Misery accidentally collided with Iris who was trying to juggle Jealousy's bowl of cooked land snails,Escragots,Frank and Len's Frank and Beans and Doom's steamed cod...and landed on the salad bowl.

At least Misery's gray jeans and dark pullover dotted with delicate snowflakes was not stained.

"Oops."Misery got up before sneezing,"At least,it wasn't so bad."

"Spheak phor yorshelf!"Iris muffled underneath her scarf.

Misery's sneeze was so powerful that it blew Iris away,making her collide with the wall.

After helping Iris and Misery out,she cast her eyes around the room.

She noted that,near the chime,Skull Boy and Peter had made space for a drum set and a couple of microphones,in anticipation of their Musical entertainment.

For now,a familiar Yan Ween song was being played through the speakers.

I pulled out my best friend's name for the gift exchange!

She has a shiny gold watch but has no chain!

I've got only $1.87 in hand,

I got to conjure up a plan!

Only thing of value is my long flowing tresses,

I don't even have any more dresses!

I know I don't have to donate my spleen like Yam did!

But I would like to symbolise our friendship!

Many hours I've spent thinking of it,sheltered from the cold weather,

it's got to be sterling,

makes you start singing,

though honestly,you can't hit a high note,my darling.

Cus' it's our first Yam Ween together!

"Ah,'First Yam Ween together'.Did you know that my roommate at boarding school was actually O. Hairy.I nearly steped on his shave though and it actually once cut my tail feathers."Poe proclaimed as he showed his long tail feathers.

Allan nearly touched it but Poe smacked his wing.

"What are you doing?!It might come off!It is still being dried!"He reprimanded him harshly.

Ruby giggled at the sight of the three dapper uptown crows as she moved to 2 large chocolate fountains that Skull Boy and Peter had made.

Each had a fancy crystal platter piled high with an assortment of freshly cut fruit for dipping into the warm chocolate.

"When did you get the idea to build a chocolate fountain?"Skull Boy asked,drizzling warm chocolate over his plate of piled up strawberries,apples and bananas while Peter slurped on his smoothie noisily.

"After seeing you guys eat my chocolate-dipped strawberries!"Ruby replied.

Skull Boy nearly choked when he heard that and Ruby moved out of the way just in time when Peter spouted out a fountain of banana smoothie.

Ruby giggled.

"By the way,thanks for helping decorate the house,"she said,

"Vulcan is actually thinking of keeping the fairy lights and the rest of the decorations to liven up the house...except the food splatters."Ruby smiled at him,her wide and generous mouth revealing pearly white teeth.

Skull Boy felt his cheeks burning which was very strange for a skeleton like him because he did not even have nerves.

How could he feel anything?

Well,he did like to defy the rules of logic.

Skull Boy's face went blank and he cleared his throat,running a hand down the back of his neck.

Peter rolled his eyes at this sight.

It had always seemed so frivolous,so perplexing to his mathematical mind,because there were no rules nor formulae by which it could be identified,romance was about as fickle as a passing breeze.

It didn't take long for him to regain his composure,quickly replying with a simple nod and mumbling,

"Maybe I am not related to Caesar Cardine..."The moment he said that,good old Skull Boy was back.

"Hey!I just realized something!Peter!Both of us seem to have the same talents right?What if you are actually my...?!"

Peter took in a sharp intake of Skull Boy actually putting two and two together and finally get four instead of five?

BEEP!

Saved by the bell!Or,universal communicator!

All eyes turned to the source of the beeping sound...a strange-looking box with a touch screen.

"Hehe!Sorry guys!"Peter's cheeks turned crimson red as he excused himself to take the call.

"Oh dear,dear!I hope Peter doesn't have to go,the party is about to begin in...1 hour,30 minutes and 38 seconds...37...36..oh,never-mind!Point is...we might get an angry mob!Certainly I am not the only one afraid this time."

"Depends,how big is the angry mob?"Len asked.

"About 2468 people!"Boo-Boo shouted.

"Okay,we can panic!Hey!Let's try to wave our arms frantically then confess secrets before we die!"Len said excitedly.

"Len,we will only die if Peter is going for more than 1 hour and 30 minutes."

"Sorry guys,I will only be back in 2 hours!"Peter said as he reached for his coat on the coat rack.

"Len!I was the one who ate the last cherry pie!"

"WHAT?!"Steam was puffing out of Len's nostrils and ears.

"Chill!You guys can go on without me!"Peter forced a weak smile.

Just as he was about to reach the door,Jealousy was right in front of him,nose to nose.

However,Jealousy didn't even bother to snap away from fact,she didn't establish the contact.

She just glared at him through her unyielding and cold pools of ink.

"What are you up to?"

Peter,however,immediately turned beetroot red at the close contact.

"I g-g-gotta meet a friend of who can fix my time machine."

He became aware of the odd ache in his chest as he looked at her and for a moment,it felt as if he could not breathe.

The warm stir of her breath against his cheek was magnified one hundredfold.

He could literally hear his heart drumming in my ears as blood pounded through his extremities.

Suddenly,he was acutely aware of every aspect of her face and the close proximity and immediately snapped away,muttering,

"See ya!"

"But Peter!What about...Yam Ween?!"Everyone shouted.


	2. Chapter 2

**Ruby Gloom:Future Yam Weeners**

**Author's Note:I only own Peter and Vulcan.**

**The rest belong to Martin Hsu.**

**Please review and tell me how I can improve!**

* * *

Each agent working for P.A.S.T had a lair where they received mission briefings from their immediate superior.

It was also filled with vehicles and the latest gadgets.

For Peter's,his lair was an extensive network of underground tubes and slides.

Of course,it was kinda hard to find the entrance sometimes...!

For now,he was going to his favorite opening.

Inside the Victorian Manor,Peter crept into the great hall.

He shot furtive glances to check that nobody,not even the dust bunnies,was around.

Then,he crept over to the bookcase,its shelves crammed with thick volumes of every description.

He finally located the book he was looking for.

The cover was purple with a black scrollwork border.

He tilted the book ever so slightly.

Soon,he was swiveled around on a large rotating panel underneath the floor so that he came out on the other side of the wall...a tube...!

Peter plummeted into his lair and made a perfect landing in his usual seat,straightening his hair as he looked up at the man on the monitor.

"Peter,it's me!"He greeted the top agent of the organization.

Wearing a crimson red knitted sweater and sporting candy cane antlers,it took every ounce of energy not to burst out into laughter at the man...

Or should I say the skeleton with a well-chiseled skull and emerald green eyes?

"What's going on?I was about to eat some of Ruby's apple crumble!I can't wait for the Yam Ween party after this Yam Ween party!"Peter acknowledged him after a few snorts.

"Well,you're getting your gift quite early!Meet Robin at the usual place!"

"Got it."Peter responded,saluting as the monitor went black.

* * *

Small flakes from the softly falling snow around Ruby were caught in the tangles of her auburn curls,her cheeks flushed from the cold and her trim little lips,usually so kissable,had faded to a blue tinted former glory with small cracks that seemed to grow the more her mouth trembled.

"It must be important news,he only ate half of my apple crumble!"Ruby sighed as she stepped inside.

"I am telling you guys!He's up to something!"Jealousy insisted.

"Right!Just like Iris's committing the heinous crime of trying to guess what's inside the presents!The horror!"Vulcan scoffed.

"Uff,why isn't this working!"Iris moaned,squinting her eye to activate her 'X-ray vision' and see what's in the presents.

"No!Iris!Your eye must emit a ray frequency that enables for transperency effect to see through solid objects!"Skull Boy sighed

"Time to get her eye checked."Poe sighed.

"Maybe he's getting us presents!Like X-ray glasses!"Len chirped.

"Yup,luckily we drew different names this time...!"Frank sighed in relief.

If he had to hear Len complain to him that he didn't get a Beak Buffer 5000 one more time,he would surely have to be administrated into the Institute of Mental Health...!

Their light chatter was interrupted by a scary chill.

They immediately felt the occupancy of sharp eyes digging into them like daggers.

Jealousy finally made her presence known,looking furious,a scowl in serious danger of spreading across her thin lips.

She looked at them straight into their eyes,not a spark of humor or amusement present in her line of perception.

Her eyes resembled that of a feral animal.

What was the animal Len had in his mind?

It was probably a bunny.

Frank rolled his eyes as a groan escaped his lips at the torture his response was about to bring him.

"Okay,we can either die by Peter's hands or Jealousy's hands...which one do you prefer...?"Frank asked Len.

"Peter's hands."They chorused together in a unanimous,simultaneous and completely expectable answer.

* * *

"I can't believe we have to do this."Frank moaned as he brought the magazine closer to his face.

"On the bright side,we got Jealousy's cool broom!"Len said as he observed the floating brush of bristles outside.

After following Peter from the shadows of alleyways,he finally stopped walking and entered...

...'Dazey's drugs and Phillip's pills'.

The pharmacy shop was packed with everything you can expect,from electric toothbrushes with no batteries in it to gummy vitamins,to greeting cards and footcake,a witch's favorite dessert.

There was a huge rack of the latest newspapers,comics and magazines where the rockers were curently lurking about.

The pharmacy looked more like a large inventory of the gifts the conjoined twins usually got.

It was no wonder to them that they were selling everything for one dollar...except the soda counter furnished with a large mirror behind a marble counter with gooseneck soda spouts,plus spinning stools,round marble-topped tables and wireframe sweetheart chairs.

That would be a great Yam Ween gift.

A soda jerk called out to Peter,

"Hey!What's happening?"

"Hiya!I'm just waiting for my friend."Peter said as he claimed a stool.

He considered for a moment,then said,

"The usual sandwich and drink!"

"Coming right up!"He perked,already slicing the bread.

As he worked,he spoke to a sleeping elderly woman who sat several stools down from Peter,a crossword puzzle and a coffee cup in front of her closed eyes.

"Glarkice,you have coffee in your hair."

At this point,the clerk dealt a couple of napkins onto the counter and set his drink and food in front of him.

"Whistle if I can get you anything else!"He offered.

He thanked him as he moved to take care of a new customer.

"Huh,he must have been here quite often."Frank noted

"Yeah,he knows the...*mmph*...soda jerk."Len snorted.

"Yeah...*mmph*...what's so funny?"Frank struggled to choke back his own laughter before asking.

Peter munched on the shaved roast beef,with sharp white cheddar and his favorite mustard on the crusty sourdough bread before slurping noisily on hot chocolate...after scooping out the marshmallows of course.

Suddenly,a woman walked to the counter and with a bottle of cocoa and to their surprise,carried it directly to the seat near Peter.

She looked him over with an appreciative smile,then reached out with her portable plastic spoon to scoop up the discarded marshmallows from his saucer and add them to her own cup.

Her black clothing appeared to be some variant on a military uniform and was tailored to her hourglass figure.

She was taller than Peter by at least a head.

Then again,Peter did have a short figure.

Underneath her black cap,faint traces of red locks were seen.

He nodded in acknowledgement of this and said,

"I can tell how happy you are...especially with my marshmallows."With a sly smirk,he regarded the sweets piled into her cocoa with his straw.

"I am the happiest girl,or should I say,the happiest women in the world!"She giggled.

What was so familiar about that voice?

Was it because of the upbeat tone it held?

Or was it because it was mingled with a hint of character strength?

"Touché,so,what's happening in the 25th century?"Peter asked.

WHAT?!

"I think you ought to see it for yourself rather than hear it from me,it will be more rewarding.

Besides,your father has built the latest gadget and he wants you to be his guinea pig."

She retrieved a small box from her breast pocket,handed it to Peter and gave a quick peck on the cheek.

The two musicians barely had time to panic or assess the danger of the situation before she left,Peter waving to her.

"I don't think Jealousy's gonna be upset...or happy...!"Frank winced at the thought of Jealousy reacting to the news.

"Then,what is she going to be?"Len pondered as they exited the store while Peter paid the tab and left a tip on the counter.

* * *

Confused.

She wasn't necessarily scowling but then again,she wasn't smiling either.

And that wasn't exactly a good sign.

She just wore a confussed expression.

Who wouldn't be?

Peter...having a relationship...wasn't he too young...?

What was that box Frank and Len saw?

Who was the girl from the future?

It was then that her incredulity and confusion passed and was replaced by something else, something visceral and stark and undeniable…_jealousy_.

Seething,burning,powerful jealousy!

The mere thought of Peter having a sweetie from the 25th century...made her beauty spot bobble up and down as her cheek muscle twitched.

Len couldn't help but think it resembled Iris bouncing on her spring shoes.

Her beautiful face was now marred with a scowl...

...but her rational part of the brain couldn't help but wonder...

...why should she be jealous?

It was Peter,the boy who drove her crazy,for crying out loud!

Before she could say,more like scream anything,Peter came.

Her sudden query caused Peter to react with a self-deprecating flinch.

"I had to go and collect something,duh!"He said rather sardonically.

Not at all convinced,she circled him like a sleek,predatory hawk,observing him at measured intervals.

"Will you quit that?"He snapped,"You're making me self-conscious!"

Well?"She demanded impatiently,"What were you **REALLY** doing?"

She had only recently learnt of his orgins,he being from the future,other things,yada,yada!

Point was,she still did not know that much about him.

"I told you,I met a friend from the future and got something from her!"

She digested that with a thoughtful purse of her lips.

Okay,he was telling her the truth.

But she needed to know more...!

Before she could pounce on him however,the doorbell rang.

He made an immediate beeline for the apple crumble while Jealousy helped Doom carry the CDs.

* * *

"Okay,so far,our guests are caught up in some kind of snowstorm."Iris announced.

"Hmm...you sure Malaise and Malady are not here?"Misery asked.

Misery brought in what appeared rice pudding mixed with whipped cream, vanilla and chopped almonds.

"Only Malady is here,Malaise is going to the hospital...what's that?"Boo Boo's curiousity was aroused.

"This is from Denmark.A whole almond is added to the dessert and the person who finds it wins a small prize!"

"It might not taste good since I ran out of bat wings."

Scaredy's eyes became as wide as he recieved a small paper bag from Ruby and was about to begin hyperventillating into it before Misery said,

"ARTIFICIAL BAT WINGS!"

"Oh,well then,I guess a spoonful wouldn't hurt..."Scaredy gleefully scooped up a large portion of the Danish dessert...before choking.

"I did tell you,it needs bat wings."Misery sullenly reminded him as Ruby and Boo Boo quickly patted on his back to help him choke out...a whole almond!

Still panting,Scaredy asked,

"May I have my prize now,please?"

"Er...sure...!"Misery replied.

Oh great...!Of all things to forget!

The prize!

There was no way she could afford anything...unless they accept charbroiled version of dollar notes.

She would definetely not give him a family heirloom that actually survived her bad luck rearing its ugly head and striking her down with vengeance.

Her eyes roved around the house...

Skull Boy's spare bones...no...Vulcan's flasks of A- blood...Vulcan hates the bitterness of it but it's his only food supply...Peter's weird box...no...wait a second!

That was it!

Ignoring the fact that Doom's milk in her chilled wine glass suddenly had ice cubes and a little umbrella the moment she passed the poor cat,she immediately dashed towards Peter's bag.

An irked Doom turned to face the perpetrator and to her horror,saw the unlucky girl rummaging through Peter's bag.

Immediately,she dramatically acted out Peter being a time traveller would only know how to use the gadget properly.

Unfortunately,she forgot that she was not a champion charades player and Misery could only wildly misinterpret her version of Peter activating the thingamabob.

"Scaredy need a haircut?Good luck with trapping him in a carrier bag and bringing him to the barber...call me if you need help!"

Oh,rotten fish!

"Here you go!"Misery gave the box to Scaredy.

"Does that box Misery's giving have at least a drop of O- blood?"Vulcan asked Peter.

"No...it...MISERY!"

Only when Vulcan drew Peter's attention to Misery's surreptitous activity did he begin to run.

"Scaredy!Give the box...!"

Before he could even finish his sentence,an odd sensation suddenly came over his body.

Peter was held suspended in a death grip,every cell controlled by a sinister force.

Suddenly,he found himself babbling words he didn't want to say,

"...to Jealousy!"

"Oh!Well,since you insist!"Scaredy sighed as he gave the box to a smirking Jealousy.

"Thanks,Scaredy!"

Immediately,the excruciating force was lifted and Peter finally had control over his body,

"Jealousy!No...!"

"Now,what does this gizmo do?"

"Jealousy,I think you better not...!"Ruby warned her.

Too late.

With a click of a digit on the keypad and then ENTER,the landscape changed.

A low,pulsing humming sound slowly built to a cresendo.

"Oh dear!Here comes the nausea!"Poe sighed,already recognizing the queasiness that only time travelling could bring.

Everyone inside became elongated and blurred.

Anxiety coursed through everyone's veins as all hell broke loose and panic punctured the air.

The room was replaced by meadows and paddocks and these in turn began to rapidly turn into forest and plains.

Wild beasts lived their entire lives within seconds and whole mountain ranges sprung up and crumbled before their eyes.

The whole universe was now in the year 55 million BC and soon the dinosaurs appeared in all their glory and strength,roaming the land searching for trees or animals to eat.

Luckily,only the herbivores were seen.

Towering Saltasaurus with skin as thick as armor munched on delicous leaves.

Cycads and pteridophytes surrounded them.

Doom pulled out a paper bag so that poor Misery could empty the contents in her stomach.

"That was quite hair-raising!"Iris giggled.

"Tell me about it!"Vulcan grumbled,his hair spiking in different directions.

"We are stranded down here!"Frank gasped when everyone had confirmed that they were,for the most part,all right.

"What are we to do?!"Scaredy whined.

"Well,as my great-great-great-great uncle would say,"To be scared or not to be scared,that is our fear.".

"That is somewhat is comforting."Scaredy smiled.

"Though it makes no sense."Scaredy pointed out with a reluctant twinge in his timid voice.

Peter cursed the heavens and debated pensively over what deadly sin he could have possibly committed in the past to land himself in such an unfortunate position.

But most of all,trying to find out why Jealousy was being so suspicous today!

_Jealousy..._

Oh,that's right!

It was **HER **fault!

Jealousy could practically see puffs of smoke emerging from his ears and nose.

If only she didn't exhaust her energy with the decorations...and controlling Peter's body.

"Why did you do that?"He demanded harshly.

She shoves her hands in her pockets and skillfully keeps her eyes on the ground.

"What is that?"She asks quickly,feigning innocence.

"_That!_"He spits out venomously,whipping his whole head to emphasize the heated glare he sent in her gestured wildly at the landscape.

"Why is it that everytime we time travel,the first time period is the Cretaceous period?!"Skull Boy moaned.

To be fair,he allowes Jealousy to defend her actions.

Her dull response sounded pitiful.

"Oopsie?"She stated abruptly in a distraught tone,her features tense.

Truth be told,that wasn't really what she intended.

She just thought she could contact Peter's girlfriend...

With a humph of indignation he swiveled his head to the side,refusing to look her in the eye.

"Unbelievable!"He hissed,his posture stiffening,hands akimbo.

His eyes betrayed him and he looked back up at her again,anger and frustration clearly displayed upon his knitted brows.

"Well,if you weren't snooping around,maybe this wouldn't have happened!"She sneered.

"Oh,it's _my_ fault now?"He scoffed.

He clenched his fists,shaking his head in distaste.

"Have you gone mad?"He inquired,venom in his tone.

Her jaw dropped and she gasped took a powerful stance in front of him.

"There is nothing wrong with me."She whispered dangerously.

Peter realized that he was taking the argument too far,but he was caught in the heat and adrenaline of the moment.

Ruby intervened,ever the peacemaker.

"Hold on!Peter,I know you are angry with Jealousy but she was just worried about you and wanted to find out what you were doing...in her special way...but you would do the same if Jealousy left abruptly.I know how you interrogate her and her whereabouts...,"

Peter sighed before giving her a terse nod.

",...and Jealousy,if Peter is acting suspicous,then maybe it is best to let him be.

If he wants to talk about it,then he will.

If he doesn't,then maybe it is a secret that should be kept to himself...we have to respect him and his privacy.

Friends are like it is a beautiful thing to observe,a dying friendship is one of the most painful things to experience."

Jealousy always managed to ferret out all of Gloomsville's gossip.

She had an unerring nose for gossip and her sharp,inquisitive eyes never missed anything.

But she knew she shouldn't resort to stealing personal belongings just to satisfy her curiosity

Peter was no different,probably that trait making him the best agent at P.A.S.T.

And he had to agree,he usually did...watch Jealousy...but it was only for notes!

"Okay,I'm sorry,especially with controlling you...it must have hurt.I don't want you to hate me."Jealousy admitted meekly.

It was her show of uncharacteristic vulnerability that moved Peter more than anything else.

"I could never hate you,sassy ,you do get under my skin better than anyone can but Ruby's right,I am no better...!"He said as he pulled her into a hug.

"Are we getting a hug too?"Iris grinned.

Peter could not suppress his small huff of laughter.

"Oh,why not?Get over here!"

The rest of them happily skipped forward to be included in the group Vulcan and Misery seemed to enjoy it,

"So,er,now since we all our loving selves,I can break the fact that I have no idea how to operate the new time machine!"

Instantly,everyone snapped themselves apart.


	3. Chapter 3

Everyone was dumbfounded.

They were all staring at Peter with a mixture of disbelief and painful acceptance.

The impact of his words finally dawned on everyone.

Ruby had dared to look at those green emerald eyes that had noticeably grown darker...with terror.

Scaredy however,had a hard time processing his words.

"What?!"He flatly asked.

He extended his neck as he held a hand to his ear.

He looked very similar to an old man trying to process information that his grandson had just told him.

He had yet to drop his look of indignation.

"We are stuck here?!"His voice rang about three octaves higher than normal and it practically oozed in disbelief for the boy in front of him.

Peter bowed his head in defeat as he showed the box.

"I have no idea what this means."

Beeping softly,as though resting from summoning ounces of energy used for time-traveling,it displayed 2 strange symbols on its screen.

One of them was a heart with crossbones,Gloomsville's symbol,the other was a muscular man with unkempt hair,carrying a spear.

Iris made note of this and voiced her observation aloud.

"Look!That's Gloomsville's symbol!The other one is a man with this weird stick...probably a weapon!"

"I think that's a caveman."Boo Boo pointed it out to her.

"Don't be silly Boo Boo,how can anyone hold a caveman?A caveman would be too heavy for anyone,even for him!"Len scoffed.

Peter ignored Len as he scrolled the screen down,looking at thousands of symbols.

"This doesn't make any sense!"Peter groaned.

"I guess we have to experiment for a while before we can reach a conclusion,try picking a symbol!"Ruby suggested.

"Er...okay!"Peter agreed.

"Hey!It's a castle!Maybe if we choose it,we would go to the Medieval ages?"Skull Boy noted.

"Oh!I have read about the fashion of the Middle Ages!So romantic,yet uncomfortable...not to mention the people were disgusting!Toothbrushes weren't even invented."Jealousy piped in.

"Oh!And those slingshot thingies,trebuchet!I wonder if I can fire myself with it?"Iris pointed out.

"Yes,and I wonder if any of you remember how dangerous it can be?!"Scaredy shook poor Skull Boy frantically until his bones started to rattle.

Luckily,Doom Kitty quickly intervened and pulled Scaredy away.

She later shook her tail at him,as though she was reprimanding him for tormenting a skeleton.

"Okay!Medieval time period,here we go-o-o-o-o-o!"Peter crowed,drawing the word out as the nauseating yet fascinating time traveling began again.

* * *

The Medieval ages,a time where beautiful princesses,lived in towers and waited to be rescued by a knight in shining armor,while handsome minstrels sang romantic ballads and madrigals.

At least that was how almost everyone thought it would be.

Not everything was so romantic apparently.

Especially since the world in the Medieval times was full of forests...

...which were useful for thieves!

And they happened to be in one now.

The trees were inanimate corpses covered in a thick layer of darkness,their twisted branches wanting to grab the gang.

The odour of rotting vegetation was enough to make Scaredy faint.

Or was it the horrifying howl of an unknown,possibly terrifying,monster?

"Wait here!"Vulcan said.

Before anyone could protest,he spread his wings and beat them furiously until he went up to the skies.

"So,who wants to hear about the Black Death according to a relative of mine?"Misery asked,trying to make things less boring as they waited.

* * *

Vulcan soared higher.

His wings barely moved as he caught a rising current of warm air.

He seemed to hang in space,above the valley by a few kilometers.

He was content to let the strong updraft carry him as he scanned the area.

The forest was just a few meters away from him and yet,he could see a form of civilisation.

He decided to land near a vegetable patch.

The moment he started to rest his tired wings,his eyes roved the area and squinted.

Where...?

"Greetings!"

He flinched and scrambled to his feet, turning around.

"Who...?"

"I am Lady Misery the...actually,we lost count on how many of our relatives were named,'Misery'!"She curtsied,

"Welcome to the Kingdom of Gloomalot,established ten years ago,1299."

The Banshee was cloaked in silks and wore a pointed hat and veil.

Yup,definitely King Artery's land.

"What brings you to the harvesting fields?"

Vulcan stared at her,perplexed.

He replied in a cracked voice,clearing his throat to rid himself of it,

"Oh,just...er...strolling...you look just like a friend of mine."

The moment she hiccuped,the ground shook with such force that even Vulcan lost his balance,

"You also have her traits."Vulcan mumbled as he regained his footing.

"What strange garments you wear!Where did you get these fine clothes?My companions would be very interested in which kingdom you come from."She pinched the sleeve of his jacket.

"Er...oh,look!Is that a first aid kit?"

Vulcan pulled out the classical escape plan as he surreptitously began to pump his legs,ready to run.

"Where?Where?!"

Immediately,she turned around to where Vulcan was pointing.

"Hey!There's no first-aid!"

By the time she turned to face him,he was gone.

* * *

"I thought Vulcan said that females who are acting are also called actors."Mosery remembered.

Strangely,the small story-telling session turned into a small squable about actors.

"They are!The nerve of some people!"Iris huffed.

"True,the word 'actress' is gender-discriminating."Ruby agreed.

"Then again,the vampire who got a G for Drama was the one who said that...I didn't know there was such a grade."Poe mumbled.

Suddenly,Vulcan zipped to a stop just in front of the startled group.

"Good news guys,we are in 1309,in the kingdom of Gloomalot,King Artery's land!"Vulcan announced before glaring at Poe and hissing,

"Also,I got a C for Drama!There's no such grade as G!

"So basically,these symbols represent a time period.

All I have to do is find Gloomsville's symbol!"Peter concluded as he whipped out the device.

"Woah!That was easy."Frank announced.

"It only took 2 minutes!"Len grinned.

"Uh-oh!"Peter groaned.

Doom immediately lowered her eyelids,making her appear more intimidating to the conjoined twins.

If only she could speak,she would have hollered at them for being idiots.

I mean,everyone knows that every time you say that in a story,the amateur author makes them suffer more.

Frank and Len tried their best to avoid meeting her cold and unyielding eyes as they leaned towards Peter,not wanting to miss a single syllable.

"What?What?"Everyone chorused.

"I found Gloomsville's symbols!"

...

"Pardon me asking but did you just say SYMBOLS,Peter?"Scaredy asked,hoping against reality that he was JUST hallucinating.

"Yeah,here!"Peter showed them the screen which was now emitting a very faint glow.

The device displayed three of Gloomsville's symbol that were exactly the same!Even Iris,what with her tunnel vision,could see the striking resemblance!

"Well,try each one then!"Boo Boo scoffed.

"No can do,battery's gonna die the moment we choose."Peter sighed.

"We have to choose carefully!"Skull Boy declared.

"How about we have a scissors,paper stone battle?The winner will choose!"Ruby suggested.

When everyone threw their arms in the air with their hands curled into fists,Jealousy coughed.

The moment everyone revealed their hands,which all turned out to be scissors,Doom was lost in sparkles and emerged as...a rock?!

"Er...does that mean Doom wins?"Peter asked no one in particular after Doom suddenly reverted to her original appearance,coughing from the cloud of magic dust.

"You bet on your freckles that the feline's fortunate!"Skull Boy hollered before he felt a bunch of confused eyes piercing through him.

"I think I may be related to a long line of referees.

After all,I am not THAT biased.

Oh,and Doom wins since she is,literally,a rock.

Peter,you may give her the prize."Skull Boy explained.

The moment he said that,Doom's eyes gleamed and she immediately snatched the gizmo from Peter.

Doom chose the middle symbol.

Strangely,a portal appeared beneath them instead.

"Huh,this never happened before."Peter said before they were all sucked into the portal,their screams echoing in the forest.

* * *

The group landed,most of them face-first on the hard ground.

"Ow!"They all chorused.

Ruby was the first to get up,

"Where are we?"

The pitch black clouds were scudding frantically across the sky.

Flashes of lightning formed in the ominous sky and the pounding of wind nearly blew them off their feet.

Scaredy shuddered at the rumbling thunder that shook the ground.

Rain started pelting down in torrents and frenzied gusts of wind past them.

The trees swayed until they almost bent.

"Terrifying atmosphere...we are definitely in Gloomsville now,right?"

Scaredy wanted to hear the words that would to soothe his frazzled nerves.

"Yeah...I think...wasn't it snowing a few seconds ago?"Peter asked.

"It was...!"Misery said before adding,

"My aunt Moana must be here."

* * *

Just before the gang arrived,it was only a slight drizzle.

The rain came pattering down in calm rivulets over the outside of the windows of a dimly lit coffee shop.

The soft beating of the rain clashed,however gently,with the drumming fingers of the only other occupant of the shop.

A skeleton.

He was the last one to leave.

Being part of a 'notorious' gang made it kinda hard to find a good job despite meeting the criteria of many successful careers in Gloomsville.

Or should I say,Bunnysville?

His sharp skull reflected a small bout of weariness mixed with slight frustration over the day,the feeling that nothing else good would happen in the day.

How can it when you have to wear a bunny suit everyday?!Along with everyone else?!

He had to say,it was a fashion don't.

Well,it was time to go...

...wait a minute,what's with the freak storm outside?

Even in Gloomsville,tornadoes rarely occurred...thanks to Misery exercising caution by preventing anyone coming near her when she has the hiccups.

The storm was getting worse,as if matching his growing dread the moment he saw...them!

Oh great,what could get worse?!

Snatching his umbrella,he skedaddled into the pouring rain and immediately scooped them up.

Ignoring their cries of protest,and the black cat biting his bones,he dashed to a bomb shelter.

Finally losing her energy to struggle against her captor's arms,the red-haired girl turned to catch a glimpse of his face.

She almost couldn't believe her eyes.

She would have rubbed them if he wasn't having a death grip on them.

Her eyes landed on a familiar skeleton.

Strangely,her mouth worked faster than her brain,

"SKULL BOY?!"

Wearing a crestfallen and rigid expression on his sharp skull was the only trait that made the bunny outfit less silly.

Slamming the door that concealed the bomb shelter,he let out what seemed like an overextended sigh...but the heavy burden on his shoulder was not lifted.

He had a good reason to complain though.

He trusted that his anger and frustration were well-defined and completely supported.

His mind was always running a million thoughts at once,usually thoughts of his personas.

However,he gave up his quest a long time ago.

He had no good reason had lost his inspiration.

Right now,the questions jumbled together were shown on his face.

One of them being the most obvious.

He finally managed to voice it out loud,

"WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU GUYS DOING HERE?!"


	4. Chapter 4

He was begging for the tiny,easily manageable,microscopic hope that he was just dreaming.

Surely that hadn't been too much to ask for.

It wasn't like he was expecting Hoan,a bully in the orphanage to be nice to him or his family tree and genealogy—even though that would be nice.

Unfortunately,he really did find them!

Not his biological family,THEM!

The kids right in front of his bewildered eyes.

Apparently,he was not the only one shocked as they gaped at him,looking like rabbits in the headlights.

His past self won the title of 'Most shocked face in the Gloomsville gang from 5 centuries ago."

"What do you mean,what are we doing here?What are YOU doing here in Gloomsville?"Younger Skull Boy spluttered.

"No,what are you guys doing here in Gloomsville 5 centuries later?!"

"5 centuries later?!"They chorused.

Ruby's mesmerising sapphire eyes radiated with shock and strangely,warmth,a friendly yet surprised smile adorning her beautiful face,

"So,you're our Skull Boy of the future!"She grinned.

"In a bunny suit!"Iris giggled.

"You're lucky I don't smell any blood on you."Vulcan sighed.

He focused past all of the sounds present like the ticking of an alarm clock to detect the subtle,excited pumping of Ruby's heart.

The beat was swift with anticipation and excitement.

Yup...Ruby had a BAD case of crush-itis.

Too bad it wasn't for him.

It was for a bunny...!

"Haha!VERY FUNNY!"Adult Skull Boy hissed.

His skull was contorted in rage,plain to see in his expressive eyes.

Ruby didn't notice it before meeting his eyes.

His didn't meet hers.

And that's when she caught on.

She looked to him expectantly,only then seeing the disdain for her was displayed on his skull.

"Is something wrong?"

He scoffed,turning his face further into his shoulder.

"Wouldn't you like to know?"He returned,lifting his chin up to meet her face.

His words were thick and cruel,laced with fierce determination.

Iris vaguely heard a snapping sound.

She looked down towards the noise and saw that her hands were clenching into fists,the bones cracking in her delicate fingers and the nails nearly scratching the skin of her palms.

She had no patience with people who unnecessarily suppressed their emotions and she hated seeing her friend upset.

"Hey!She was just concerned!Oh,...Bunnies akan dipeluk anda dan saya akan menjadikan anda jutawan!"She was shaking with rage.

"You said,"Bunnies will cuddle you and I will make you a millionaire." in Malay."Misery deadpanned.

"Luckily,it's possible I am related to a long line of translators so I will say it instead,"Younger Skull Boy cleared his throat before hollering at his older self in Malay,

"Bagaimana anda berani merawat Ruby seperti itu?Anda tidak boleh saya!Saya tidak akan mengatakan bahawa untuk Ruby!"

"Do any of you know what I've been through?"Adult Skull Boy hissed as he quickly stripped off his bunny suit...revealing a military outfit consisting of his signature colors,black and grey.

The girls couldn't help themselves.

They really couldn't.

He was just…so handsome.

They stared blatantly at the man before them,only vaguely similar to the Skull Boy they knew that was scolding them.

"Humina,humina!I wonder if he has sustained any scars...or for him,scratches on his bones!"Misery drooled.

"Hehe,imagine him firing me out of a cannon!"Iris squealed.

"He looks good in that uniform!I don't think it will EVER be out of style!"Jealousy sighed,dazed.

"Uff...!Girls!"Vulcan sneered.

"I know,girls can't help but drool at a guy wearing a military outfit."Frank moaned.

"I still can't believe that's me,right Ruby?Ruby?!"Younger Skull Boy failed in attracting her attention.

Even Ruby was now seeing him in a different light as she gave him a longing stare.

Instead,she focused on the matter at hand.

She cocked her head slightly to avoid swooning at the sight of his handsome skull,lifting her hands gently in mock surrender.

"Have I done something wrong?"She tried.

The gashes made by the trust destroyed and strained understanding resonated anew when SHE arrived.

"You deliberately kept information from me!What more is behind that? There is no rhyme and reason,no ulterior motive for this-your thought process has calculated no imminent effect except me being deceived!"He finally slapped at her...verbally.

That seemed to put them on high alert.

She looked at him.

Her rational part of my brain processesed the words he had just said.

And then confusion flashed through her conscious mind,finally resulting in horror.

Apparently,everyone was thinking along the same lines and they simultaneously shouted,

"WHAT?!"

"I don't understand!Why would I want to deceive you?"Ruby protested.

"I don't care,you horrible human!"

That word...

It triggered something primeval within Younger Skull Boy.

It echoed through his mind with ominous intensity,escalating from whispers to shouts.

He pinched his eyes as vivid memories of the humans in the orphanage stealing his personal belonings,making sure he never got adopted and even beating him up till his bones were scattered everywhere.

Realization hit him like lightning.

Humans,ALL OF THEM,are horrible.

Including...Ruby!

"I should have known,you were just like other humans."Younger Skull Boy muttered,his tone a little sharper than usual.

He wasn't yelling and even when he fought,it was his opponent's voice that rose.

His voice always stayed low.

Dangerously so.

He may be quiet,but his voice was venom and each syllable hit Ruby with thorns.

He knew that fact and when to execute it.

Older Skull Boy was being withdrawn,childish and stubborn...but Older Skull Boy still cared for Ruby and he averted his face as much in obstinacy as he did to avoid seeing her face,crestfallen when his Younger self was speaking.

Softening,he placed a boney hand on her shoulder that was now rigid with shock and massaged it gently to get rid of the knots.

Remember,this is Ruby's past self,not HIS Ruby.

"You just have to face facts,this is the future."

"NO!IT'S _**NOT**_!"A booming voice thundered.

Everyone turned to Peter.

Older Skull Boy could practically see puffs of smoke emerging from his ears and nose.

"I AM FROM THE 25TH CENTURY...AND THIS NEVER HAPPENED AT ALL IN HISTORY!HECK,YOU DEFINITELY AREN'T A COFFEE SHOP WORKER IN MY FUTURE,THE CORRECT ONE! "

"What are you talking about?I don't know you."

Peter's jaw finally dropped.

Oh no,he didn't!

"How can you not know me?It's me,Peter!Your...well,you know me!"He exclaimed in exasperation.

"Sorry,can't recognize you!"Older Skull Boy shrugged.

"Maybe he has another case of amnesia!Why,it was such a fine day when...!"Poe was cut off by the snap of Peter's fingers.

"Hey,yeah!Bring me to the others,and I'll be the judge to whether it is the future!"

Adult Skull Boy sighed as he went to another room.

Soon,a soft tune rode about the hallways,ducking into every corner and crevice,hiding playfully within every small space and open area available for habitation.

The song flowed pleasantly,seemingly flawless and exuberantly thoughtful.

Then,a whoosh was heard.

Then,older Skull Boy beckoned them inside.

Younger Skull Boy took notice of a white grand piano,with dusty cream keys and a midnight frame as they stepped into a dark tunnel.

So that was the key...!

They say there's always a light at the end of the tunnel...well,they were right.

The light was kinda too dim though.

It was understandable since the light source was a single fluorescent bulb.

A pesky fly was constantly hovering around it.

In a way,it reminded Skull Boy of himself,always pondering on a possible persona and sticking to it for at least a few minutes.

Also,humans were one of the many enemies of the flies...just like humans were his enemies.

Iris' purple orbs and Vulcan's amber eyes scanned the wall of weaponary...with crossbows,swords,a staff with a glowing skull,a gun and other menacing items belonging to the threatening supermarket.

Jealousy's beady eyes gazed at the dark clothing that was neatly arranged in the closet.

Misery and Younger Skull Boy were checking out the pile of first-aid kits.

Frank and Len were looking at the the bowl of chips and dip.

Boo Boo,Ruby,Doom,Peter and Poe watched the beeping supercomputer that seemed to dominate the entire room.

Everyone's attention eventually driffted to a baffled group when they swore that curious gazes were piercing through them.

Then their jaws dropped.

Long,ebony hair was pulled up for once,albeit messily,undoubtedly strewn to keep the woman's face free of obstruction.

A failed attempt,truly,seeing how discarded wisps fell in long strands in front of a dark eye full of remorse and regret.

Older Iris now wore a black singlet and black shorts that showed her long legs and arms.

Misery still had her long hair that flowed like an oynx river with a veil over it and two gold clips secured its position.

She still wore long black fingerless gloves.

Her the white pupils that dotted her pitch black eyes were diluted with sadness...more sadness than usual.

She was wearing a long overcoat that was clumsily adorned and was hardly holding onto the woman's shoulders,which were slumped and moving slowly with her panting.

She had been carrying a good sized duffle bag,leather in origin and deep black in colour.

It laid at her feet now,crooked with haste and tipped gently with the weight of its contents,showing thousands of bandages.

Frank's savvy hair was still styled as a pompadour and Len's retained unkempt hair was hidden each by two caps.

They had discarded their signature shirt with a half-smile half-frown face and replaced it with a black shirt with long sleeves and pads.

The dicephalic conjoined twins showed the same expresions of shock.

Vulcan's facial features were perfect and angular - high cheekbones,a strong jawline,a straight nose and full lips.

His untidy hair retained its unusual bronze shade.

However,his eyes were darker,onyx black and purple bruise-like shadows appeared beneath his eyes.

Just like how dark his wardrobe now consisted of a black suit and brown pants insead of a frilly jacket,long black tights and velvet cape.

Adult Jealousy was now clad in a black cat suit that hugged her curves.

Instead of a smirk,a frown dominated her pretty face.

The only one who hadn't seemed to change his appearance and personality was Scaredy,still small and still looking very fearful.

Everyone,except the two Skull Boys,chimed a single a word,

"WHAT?!"

"Why are you guys here?!"Iris' eye was wide with shock.

"Jealousy's fault!Not mine!"Peter was quick to point an accusing finger at Jealousy.

"I'm sorry!Yeesh!"Jealousy scoffed.

They were hardly batting an eyelash at them eyes were focusing on a certain perky goth!

Ruby was becoming squeamish under their heavy gazes and immediately chirped,

"Hi!"

"R-Ruby?!"Iris tentatively asked,her voice seemed so weak.

"Yeah,present meet past!Present meet future!Well,at least some of them!"He gestured from their older selves to the younger selves.

Strangely,the older versions of Boo-Boo,Doom,Poe and Ruby weren't there.

"One of them doesn't believe this is the future so show him the **letter**!"He barked.

"Er,you sure bout' that,Skulls?"Adult Frank asked.

His steadfast and unfinching eyes immdiately pierced through Adult Frank.

"One letter that readers should not see since it will cause them to faint on how OCC Ruby is in future,coming up!"

He chuckled nervously as he surrendered the letter to Poe.

Frowning in bewilderment,Poe dutifully took the letter and began to read,his frown deepening as he did so.

When he was finished,he turned the paper over in his hands as if he expected there to be more,almost in disbelief because there wasn't.

* * *

_**Five minutes later...**_

* * *

By now,everyone was having mixed reactions at the 'holy' letter.

Some of it was anger.

Some of it was fear.(No prizes from where the fear came from)

Some of it was confusion.

But most of it was sadness.

Everyone thought there wasn't a single thing in the world that could get Ruby down or a single negative that she couldn't turn into a positive.

Everyone was wrong because even she was stuttering,completely lost.

Finally giving up,she turned to her friends,

"But I would never do that...right Frank,Len?"She desperately pleaded with them through eye-contact.

Frank and Len had sustained emotional injuries when they heard Ruby's bitter letter.

"How would we know?"Frank growled.

"Yeah,we have no brains."Len shot at her.

"Oh...Scaredy,please?"

"I am terribly sorry Ruby,but I am a coward,I can't stand up even for myself,as you wrote."Scaredy looked like he was about to burst into tears at the fact that Ruby hated them.

"Vulcan,Jealousy?"

Vulcan's fangs grew as his anger did,leaking through his sarcastic comment,

"Blood-sucking prince of dorks!Thanks,I love it!That nickname is better than Mr Fangs!"

"I created that dress when I was eight,just for was my first and you spilled milk on it!Then you bought a replacement!"Jealousy sobbed.

"Misery,Boo Boo?"

"I'm just a glob of ectoplasm.I have no idea what to believe."Boo Boo huffed.

"How can I help you?I will just make it worse,seeing I am a clumsy,good-for-nothing banshee who always has bad luck."

Her eye always seemed to be dancing.

Her eye was very expressive,changing hue with the range of her mood,often darkening further with sudden turmoil and lightening dramatically in extended joy.

Either way,it showed just as much emotion as would a smile or glower.

Unfortunately,it lost its light,showing her disappointment.

Now it was just a window of a broken soul and shattered heart.

The fire that ignited it was gone.

Her normally joyful,spunky and sometimes feisty voice now just seemed weak and sad the moment she blustered,

"I don't care what you say!"

With those word,Ruby's heart shattered as if it were a delicate glass heirloom and someone had taken it and thrown it against the wall.


End file.
